why has john mccain become this john mccain? he's like the joker in batman. you know, life's been good to me. what happened to that guy? >> i think it's personal peak. i think he never got over 2008. he's got a double standard going on between the two rices, and it's apples and oranges. susan rice had nothing to do with benghazi. condoleezza rice had a lot to do with the war in iraq. and the intelligence there. the comparison is specious on any level. >> why doesn't he ever talk about all the republicans who voted against $300 million that hillary clinton wanted to beef up embassy and consulate security? there are some questions that republicans who opposed that need to answer. that's one of the reasons those people lost their lives. >> it's sad. it's sad to see this deterioration. thank you, ron reagan, and thank you, jonathan alter. you guys were incisive tonight. >>> coming up, there are dog whistles and then there are bull horns, and another republican official is blowing his next. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. so, what hap pens if i'm i